Passport staff to strike in pay row

General secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union Mark Serwotka

Thousands of passport workers are to stage a 24-hour strike on Friday in a row over pay, it was announced today.

The Public and Commercial Services union said 2,500 of its members in London, Peterborough, Durham, Belfast, Liverpool, Glasgow and Newport in South Wales will walk out.

The strike, in protest at the lack of a pay offer two months after the settlement date, will be followed by a week-long work to rule.

Workers, who supported strike action by 3-1, also voiced anger that the cost of a passport had risen by 50% in the past year.

Processing of passports will be "severely disrupted" by the action, the union warned.

General secretary Mark Serwotka said: "The union has been pressing for a formal pay offer, but management have shown a distinct lack of urgency by dragging their feet and cancelling pay negotiations."

"Members are angry at the apparent inertia of the employer who had stated that it wanted to settle this year's pay as quickly as possible."

"Staff fear a repeat of last year when it took management over a year to make a formal pay offer. Those taking strike action on Friday will be demonstrating that are not prepared for the agency to carry on dragging its feet."